As special counsel Robert Mueller builds his case, relatives of former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn are among those pressing the president to use his unique legal power and ‘put these defendants out of their misery.’

Gordon Brown: Take EU powers and give them to Scotland

Former British Prime Minister Gordon Brown on Monday called for a major overhaul of the U.K.’s constitutional structures, and suggested taking powers currently held by the European Union and giving them to the Scottish parliament in Edinburgh.

Brown told an audience at the Edinburgh International Book Festival that, post-Brexit, powers over fishing, farming and social rights could move from Brussels to the Scottish parliament. This, he claimed, would strengthen the parliament and weaken calls for a second vote on Scottish independence from the U.K.

“We enter autumn with two entrenched positions which are polar opposites: The U.K. government wants Scotland in Britain but not in Europe and the Scottish government wants Scotland in Europe but not in Britain,” Brown said.

“Now is the time for fresh thinking and not a replay of the tired old arguments and slogans. [I] believe that we should examine a way forward that offers a more innovative constitutional settlement, more federal in its relationship with the U.K. than devolution or independence and more akin to home rule than separation,” the Guardian reported Brown as saying.

Brown said his plan would involve the U.K. Treasury sending an additional £750 million a year to Edinburgh. That’s the amount his advisers believe that EU agricultural subsidies, academic grants and regional funds are worth to Scotland.

Brown also called for the House of Lords — the upper house of the British parliament — to be scrapped and replaced with an elected senate.

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Emmbee

Nobody cares what GB thinks these days. He had his chance to lead the UK and failed.

Posted on 8/29/16 | 8:46 PM CET

Henry hooper

Nobody in power took note of his con the last time, no one will take note of his “Deja Vow” this time. A perfect example of a lying politician..shameful

Posted on 8/29/16 | 8:54 PM CET

Henry hooper

Who would deliver these promises….the Tories…you really are having a laugh..what a joke of a man

Posted on 8/29/16 | 8:55 PM CET

Alan

Incoherent is the best I can say

Posted on 8/29/16 | 9:34 PM CET

Tom Cuillem

And this is why Gordon Brown has been consigned to the political dustbin of history – although the wee mannie himself seems not to have gotten the memo.

Posted on 8/29/16 | 9:57 PM CET

Cameron Gazzola Black

As those powers are not listed in the Scotland Act as being reserved to Westminster, when the UK leaves the EU they would automatically revert to Scotland, unless BritGov explicitly added then to that list. Good luck winning Indyref2 if they do that.

Posted on 8/29/16 | 10:37 PM CET

John Corfield

THis dinosaur from Stalinist statist 19thc Socialism who condemned millions in the UK by enslaving them with such generous welfare payments so they would never accept a low paid job all to hopefully see them vote labour for their life span.
This hugely unpopular unelected PM was a resounding failure who’s missives are treated with contempt especially in England where he is rightly despised as an utter failure.

Posted on 8/30/16 | 1:44 PM CET

Only me

That is exactly what Brexit will deliver. Brown is an outdated idiot.

Posted on 8/30/16 | 1:46 PM CET

JoJo

@Cameron Gazzola Black

Scotland is governed by the UK government. Those ‘powers’ are for Westminster alone to set.